Toy pistol



March 4, 1952 w. D. O'QUINN 2,588,036

TOY PISTOL Filed Dec. 5, 1947 Fig.

37 LI "9. 40 7 H/ 32 u 2/ g j 39 2 Fig.2. 44 8 I n velztor Wilbur D. 0 'Ouinn Patented Mar. 4, 1952 TOY PISTOL Wilbur D. OQuinn, Wilmington, N. 0., assignor of one-half to J. H. Ferguson, Wilmington, N. 0.

Application December 5, 1947, Serial No. 789,792

My invention relates to improvements in toy pistols, the primary object'in view being to provide a simply constructed, inexpensive, pistol form of toy adapted to produce a noise when the trigger'is actuated and'to light a flashlight in the muzzle thereof so as to simulate the flash produced at the muzzle by a real gun each time the gun is fired.

Another object is to provide a pistol of the type and for the purposes above set forth, in which .electric wires are eliminated and which maybe operated with or without the flashlight, as desired.

' To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, set forth in detail in the succeeding "description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

4 Insaid drawing:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section illustrating myimproved toy pistol with one of the body sections removed todisclose the interior structure of the pistol;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation;

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the removed section;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the muzzle cap member;

Figure 5 is a detail view in transverse section of the thimble for fitting around the shell of the lightbulb.

Referring now to the drawing by numerals, according tov my invention, .as illustrated, a pis tol' is provided.comprisinga. body I shaped to simulate a pistol. grip .2 with a barrel 3 and a trigger guard. 4.

.The body I is .split longitudinally, in the median plane thereof, toform a pair of side by side sections 5, 6 secured together by pins 1 and with flat sides opposed. Preferably the body I is formed of insulating plastic material.

The pistol grip 2 is hollow to provide a battery receiving chamber 8 therein opening into a longitudinal chamber 9 formed in the barrel 3 to extend forwardly over the trigger guard 4 and which is open at its bottom over said guard. The pistol grip 2 has a longitudinally extending rear edge opening I!) therein for inserting batteries into said chamber 8.

The muzzle end of the barrel 3 is provided with a reduced end nub I I through which an internally threaded bore [2 extends for a short distance into said barrel, for a purpose presently seen.

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-175) A pair of suitable flashlight batteries of the usual dry cell type, and designated l3 are provided in the battery receiving chamber 8 with negative ends resting on a right angled leaf spring conductor M of steel having one end suitably fixed, as at I5, in the bottom of said chamber 8. The conductor l4 extends upwardly along the front edge of the pistol grip 2, through a slot [6 in said edge, and with an upper free end I1 projecting out of said slot and adapted to be flexed rearwardly to react and snap against the front edge of said grip to produce a loud noise. As will presently more clearly appear, the conductor 14 forms in conjunction with a trigger member. presently described, a snap action noise maker and also one element of a flasher switch.

A rotar trigger member I8 is mounted in the chamber 9 over the trigger guard 4 on a transverse pin l9 with a plurality of trigger arms 20 arranged in coplanar relation and adapted to be revolved successively, by rotation of said member, in the proper direction, into wiping engagement with said free end I! of the conductor [4 to flex said end rearwardly and then release the same. As will be understood, the trigger arms 20 revolve into the trigger guard 4 so that by pulling with one finger on one arm a preceding arm may be revolved into engagement with said free end I! and a succeeding arm 20 positioned in said guard 4 for finger operation.

A light bulb 2| has its socket end shell 22 threaded into the bore 12 and is designed to be energized each time the free end I! of the conductor I4 is fiexed'by the trigger arms 20, and through the following means.

' A second leaf spring conductor 23 of steel is anchored intermediate its ends in the rear end of the chamber 9 between guide lugs 24 with an acute angled free end 25 bridging the positive terminals of the batteries l3 and reacting against the same to form with the conductor M a spring clamp for retaining the batteries in the battery receiving chamber 8. The other end 21 of said conductor 23 is anchored in a cross-slot 28 in the rear end of the barrel 3, and, as will presently more clearly appear, forms one element of a circuit closing switch.

A third leaf spring conductor 29 of steel extends along the top of the barrel 3 in a groove 30 with an annular front end, flanged thimble 3i fitting in the bore l2 and in an annular groove 3| in the nub II, and also adapted to fit around the shell 22 of the light bulb 2| to electrically connect said conductor 29 and said shell. The rear end 32 of the third conductor 29 depends, at

a right angle, into the chamber 9 alongside the end 21 of the second conductor 23 to flex into and from engagement therewith.

A cam plug 33 rotatably mounted in the barrel 3, and operative by a crank arm 34 on one end thereof, is provided for flexing said end 32 of the conductor 29 into engagement with said end 21 of the second conductor 23 and form therewith the circuit closing switch before mentioned.

A fourth leaf spring conductor 35 of steel extends along the top of the barrel 3 in a groove 36 with a front end 31 extending into the bore |2 into engagement with the usual rear end terminal 39 for the light bulb 2|. A rear end portion 39 of the fourth conductor 35 depends into the chamber 9 behind the trigger member l8 and the free end ll of the conductor l4, and against which said end i! is adapted to be flexed by the arms 20 of the trigger member 18.

As will now be seen, the rear end portion 39 of the fourth conductor 35 forms with the free end I! of the conductor l4, and the trigger member l8, the previously mentioned flasher switch.

A shoulder forming bend 49 is formed in the rear end portion 39 of the fourth conductor 35 which provides a stop past which the arms 20 of the trigger member |8 are adapted to wipe and which is adapted to snap under the tips of said arms to prevent reverse rotation of the trigger member IS.

A muzzle cap member 4| is fitted on the nub frictionally, with an aligning stud 42 thereon fitting frictionally in a socket 43 in the muzzle end of the barrel 3, said cap member being removable for access to the light bulb 23 and having a sight 1 lug 44 thereon.

A suitable reflector 45 is provided in the cap member 4| into which said light bulb 2| extends. The light bulb 2| is extended out of the nub into said cap member and reflector so that when said cap member is removed, the light bulb may be easily grasped for removal and replacement.

The described conductors I4, 23, 29, 35 are designed to be molded into the grooves I6, 28, 30,

36 in the section 5 so that the other section 6 may conductor 35. Therefore, if the cam plug 33 has 4 been set to flex the end 32 of the third conductor 29 into engagement with the end 21 of the second conductor 23 to close the switch formed thereby, a circuit will be closed and opened intermittently to energize the light bulb 2| intermittently. Each time the light bulb 2| is energized, the free end ll of the conductor I4 is released by one of the trigger arms 20 to snap against the front edge of the pistol grip 2 and produce a loud noise. By setting the cam plug 33, in the proper direction, the end 32 of the third conductor 29 will be permitted to flex away from the end 21 of the second conductor 23 so that the electric circuit is permanently opened and the pistol may be used as a noise maker without flashing the light bulb 2|. The trigger member I8 is also formed of insulating plastic.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suflice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, with out further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification, without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modifications as follow in the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a toy pistol of the type having a hollow pistol grip and barrel, means to produce noise and to electrically illuminate said barrel internally and intermittently at the muzzle end thereof comprising a flasher switch consisting of an electrically conductive leaf spring in said hand grip secured to and normally reacting resiliently into engagement with the trigger side of said grip and flexible away from said side, a star wheel trigger made of insulation material journaled in said barrel and rotatable in one direction to allow each arm of said star wheel successively to intermittently engage and flex said spring and release the same, said spring when released reacting into normal engagement with said side with a snap action to produce a loud noise, and a second electrically conductive leaf spring resiliently mounted in said barrel and contacted by the first named spring when flexed to close the switch, said second spring having means thereon wipingly engaging an arm of said trigger and preventing reverse rotation of said trigger.

2. A toy pistol according to claim 1 wherein said means comprises a stop shoulder on said second spring.

WILBUR D. OQUINN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 689,547 James Dec. 24, 1901 876,088 Pfeil Jan. 7, 1908' 945,610 Rotermund Jan. 4, 1910 1,096,726 Knopf May 12, 1914 1,129,871 Jerger et al. Mar. 2, 1915 2,007,082 Grifiith July 2, 1935 

